Statement from the Alleged Recipient of the $3 Million Dollar Projector

Adler Planetarium in Chicago is the home of the first planetarium theater in the Western hemisphere. They were quite taken aback to hear John McCain criticize an alleged financial "ear mark" voted for by Barack Obama that would have given them a new $3 million dollar projector. Since McCain has seen fit to make that accusation part of his stump speech, I think it's worth hearing the planetarium's side of the story:

"To clarify, the Adler Planetarium requested federal support – which was not funded – to replace the projector in its historic Sky Theater, the first planetarium theater in the Western Hemisphere. The Adler’s Zeiss Mark VI projector – not an overhead projector – is the instrument that re-creates the night sky in a dome theater, the quintessential planetarium experience. The Adler’s projector is nearly 40 years old and is no longer supported with parts or service by the manufacturer. It is only the second planetarium projector in the Adler’s 78 years of operation.

Science literacy is an urgent issue in the United States. To remain competitive and ensure national security, it is vital that we educate and inspire the next generation of explorers to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

Senator McCain’s statements about the Adler Planetarium’s request for federal support do not accurately reflect the museum's legislative history or relationship with Senator Obama."

Read the entire press release in PDF format